Latest Cars News Blog

Ferrari boss commits to hybrid road cars by 2015

In the past year, Italian high performance icon Ferrari has increasingly showed signs of succumbing to the pressures of the modern world of transportation. At the Detroit Auto Show in January, the Ferrari displayed what was labeled as an E85-fueled F430 Spyder and last year showed a mock up of a lightweight concept dubbed MilleChile. Speaking to German newspaper Welt am Sonntag Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo once again proclaimed the company's commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption.

Montezemolo declared that a road-going hybrid Ferrari would be on the market by 2015 and the company intended to reduce CO₂ emissions by 40 percent by 2012. Bringing technology from race programs to the road is nothing new for Ferrari. This is a company that truly lives the motto "Racing improves the breed." From advanced variable intake systems to automated manual transmissions, Ferrari road cars feed the Formula One program with cash and feed off the advancements. The latest is the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) being developed for the F1 cars. KERS is a regenerative braking system and it's not known is if Ferrari is planning to use a flywheel-based system or electrical energy storage. Either, way Montezemolo has committed to maintaining the character of Ferrari while making the cars cleaner at the same time.

[Source: AFP via Sydney Morning Herald]

Win a Lamborghini Murcielago for 24 hours Contest!!

CarFront.com is giving you the chance to win the keys to a Murcielago for 24 hours!!!

The winner of this contest will be given the keys to a Lamborghini Murcielago to drive for 24 hours.

CarFront.com will be flying you out to the city where the car will be located, providing you a hotel room (not that you’ll actually be sleeping with the keys and access to your own Murcielago for 24 hours!!) and flying you home after having the experience of a lifetime!

CLICK HERE to read how you can ENTER this CONTEST

VW Golf: Forrest Gump-style commercial from Brazil

Very cool Forrest Gump-style commercial here for the VW Golf. Nice!Related news: GermanCarBlog, P4MR, VW GolfSource: Autoblog

Big 3 Performance brings another Mustang Model to the Big Pony Party

Just when you thought the table was set and all parties have found their seat another participant finds a seat at the table and opens up a high-octane beverage. There are more Mustang variations of the current pony body style than some manufacturers have models in their line-up. So why should there be another? Two reasons should sum it up well enough: Because they can and because there’s a demand.

Big 3 Performance Mustang

Big 3 Performance will be producing their own take on the Mustang with a 100 car production plan that samples some of the best of the after-market parts available. Out of the 100 cars to be built there will be 20 of them showcasing a 650-hp engine. That will give this pony production car some of the highest horsepower ratings of all current Mustangs. With an aim at strong performance and some gunning-for-ya fascia the Big 3 Performance team will be acquiring plenty of affectionate looks.

Piaggio builds the Pope a rickshaw

Photo: Times of India

Over the years, the Pope has been driven around in quite a few different vehicles, which most people refer to as the 'Popemobile.' The last time the Pope visited the United States, for instance, his ride was a modified Mercedes-Benz M Class SUV which had been specially modified to accommodate his needs. In fact, Mercedes-Benz has a long history of creating vehicles specially for the Pope, and now Piaggio has joined in as well. Piaggio's contribution, though, features just three wheels and is made from the rickshaw platform which is popular in India, where the vehicle was created.

According to Ravi Chopra from Piaggio's Indian subsidiary, "These vehicles were given a complete look and feel of a Popemobile by putting a white coloured hood, white tyres, seat upholstery, and white body paint. The insignia on the doors is specially handcrafted. The entire vehicle was given a complete unique decor to suit the aura of His Holiness." Piaggio hopes that Pope Benedict XVI can find a use for the vehicle at the Vatican, perhaps when touring the gardens.

[Source: Times of India]

Fireball Dissects The Green Hornet

Lots of people are looking forward to Seth Rogen’s Green Hornet. And with Cameron Diaz and Nicholas Cage now on board, it makes sense. But some of you think that this is gonna be a new movie, when it’s actually a remake of an old 60’s TV Show. And THAT show was a remake of a 40’s Serial! But the 60’s show was just one of the coolest shows that happened to be on TV at that time. Better than Batman and Bonanza, better than Route 66 too. Right up there with Twilight Zone and Hawaii 5-0.

And of course, with any successful crime fighter, this Green dood had a sidekick and cool car. Kato was the sidekick (Bruce Lee), and the Black Beauty was the car. It had rocket launchers, super cool sonar and a bunch of other doodads. But if you liked cars and Martial Arts as much as I did, then this series was the bomb. It was nothin’ but flyin’ foot fists and the smell of burnt rubber over the face of the bad guy. (The movie will actully have a story, too.)

This gallery shows the car in all it’s glory. Oil slicks, scud missiles, even a phone! What are they doing for the big budget movie? Ah, that’s a secret. Is it cooler than the original? Hm. Is it fulla cool gadgets that obliterate bad guys? Yup. Is it black? C’mon, gimme some REAL questions…

Until the movie gets closer, this is all you get, although I did post a concept I did a while back. See if you can find it…

A super modded Chrysler Imperial, thunder stumpin’ the evil doers of the planet. By the time the movie comes out, you’ll be well versed in this beast. Do it.

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Ducati Streetfighter: Intelligent Muscle

Ducati Streetfighter: Intelligent Muscle
As the first naked sport bike endowed with competition-level traction control, the Ducati Streetfighter receives a choice of eight-sensitivity levels, each programmed with a wheel-spin tolerance. The Ducati Traction Control lets you accelerate from slow to mid-corner with serious lean angle to high speed corner while almost upright for an enhanced performance and maximum control. Its L-Twin cylinder, 1099cc engine reaches 155hp and a 85lb-ft torque. The Streetfighter is equipped with a 190/55 ZR17 Pirelli Diablo Corsa III rear tire and a 120/70 ZR17 Pirelli Diablo Corsa III front tire. Ducati, keeps you moving!
Ducati Streetfighter: Intelligent Muscle